Thursday, February 10, 2005

The Regular : : Rove Gets Bigger Role at White House

Arguably the only person in the administration who's good at his job is being promoted.President Bush's senior adviser, Karl Rove, will take on a wider role in developing and coordinating policy in the president's second term, the White House announced on Tuesday. Rove, who was Bush's top political strategist during his 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, will become a deputy White House chief of staff in charge of coordinating policy between the White House Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.

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DETROIT (Reuters) - President Bush's senior adviser, Karl Rove, will take on a wider role in developing and coordinating policy in the president's second term, the White House announced on Tuesday.

Rove, who was Bush's top political strategist during his 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, will become a deputy White House chief of staff in charge of coordinating policy between the White House Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.

Rove will continue to oversee White House strategy to advance Bush's agenda and will "make sure we have an open and fair process for the development of policy and to make sure the policy is complementary and consistent with the various councils," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"He is one of the president's most trusted advisers who has played an integral role in strategy and policy development for a long time," McClellan said.

Deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin will take on a bigger role, deputizing for White House chief of staff Andrew Card at meetings concerning intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation and Defense Department and the Homeland Security Council.

Bush's former chief speech writer, Michael Gerson, will become assistant to the president for policy and strategic planning and will have a lead role in advancing Bush's "compassionate agenda," such as his faith-based initiative. He will oversee the writing of Bush's major speeches as well.

A long-time deputy White House press secretary, Claire Buchan, will become chief of staff to new Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

She will be replaced by the communications director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Dana Perino, McClellan said.